I fixed my emerald eyes on Gerard's golden ones as he squirmed.
"You look like I'm gonna hit you or something." He chuckled, rubbing his thumb on the side of his mouth.
"I'm just scared'bout what I gotta explain. You haven't given me any real clues what the questions are."
Cocking my head to the side I looked at him before pulling an amp away from the wall, sitting on it cautiously. "Who's mother and why does she seem so important?"
My voice was acareful monotone as I stared at the black bass guitar opposite me, picking out as many details as I could.
"You've already heard about her" Gerard's pink lips pulled into a small, fake smile "you just know her by her pet name."
My eyes narrowed, my mouth pulling down at the corners slightly. "Like hell I know what the heck you're talking about."
I never meant to sound like such a b*tch. But all I needed was a straight answer. Something Ihadn't got since I arrived here.
"sorry." his expression was far more shocked than hurt by the way I'd snapped.
"You've heard of her. Trust me" he took a deep breathe as he shifted uncomfortably "you've most defiantly heard about Mama."

"The Mama?" my voice shook with excitement; Mama. Mother War. The one with a song named after her.
"Yeah, her. I don't get why you're so excited... are you actually shaking?"
Blood rushed to my cheeks, my wide grin shrinking. "Maybe..." Gerard raised an eyebrow, a sceptical look on his vampiric white face "okay! Yeah, I am. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't be."
"How 'bout she's the one who decides on your fate. Her and the council." He ruffled his hair, jumping from his seat. Eyes glistening with something new.
Pity.
"Who's the council?" I swallowed my own tongue. The way he looked at me; I felt like I was already damned. Like he knew I was damned.
"There's five of 'em. That's all I can say, I'm sorry."
The cogs and gears in my skull grinded to a halt. Grunting and groaning in protest.
"What about the uniform?" it was the first thing I could think of to fill the descending silence "why do I need it?"
Gerard shrugged, scratching the back of his neck. His hair was beginning to grow back; dark roots slashed in rows against the bleached white.
"We just do. Get the rare ones to wear 'em I mean." At that moment my mind stunned me with arevelation so obvious I must have been very preoccupied not to have realised it: I wasn't the first.

"How many've been here before me... the 'rare ones' I mean." My eyes met Gerard's once again as Iwatched his very soul shudder. Rippling down his body and snapping his eyelids shut.
"You're the sixth." Tears accumulated around his dark lashes, sliding down his cheeks, dripping onto his shirt. "There's only been one who stayed. I don't know how many we can lose and watch... I don't know how long we can cope."
Eyes flashing open the pain spilled out with the tears.
"They didn't make it." my throat tightened, a sickening feeling filling my stomach and spreading slowly like a disease.

Lights flooded the room and a moment later the door slammed wide.
"POWERS BACK!" Mikey beamed as we hastily wiped away our tears.
"Yeah. Game over" I pushed my way through the door and ran to my room.
I knew I should have just kept quiet.